St James's Palace has announced that while Miss Middleton will wear a wedding ring, Prince William has chosen not to.

Rings are typically exchanged by couples during their wedding to signify commitment to each other.

Does it matter if husbands don't wear a wedding band?

Prince William's father wears one, his grandfather doesn't and their decisions weren't seen as strange. But reactions to Prince William's decision show that wedding rings for husbands are now the norm.

One young man, who spoke to the BBC, thinks William is setting a bad example, saying: "I think it's disgraceful really. It's tradition. You have to wear a ring really. And for someone of the royal family to do that, it's not right."

Broadly speaking, modern husbands tend to wear their wedding rings as a symbol of loyalty and faithfulness. So not wearing one can seem unusual or even suspicious to some, although men haven't always worn them.

The wearing of wedding rings has been the done thing for centuries amongst wives but only became common practice amongst husbands during World War II. Men fighting overseas usually wore them as a reminder of wives and families back home.

Wearing rings are a safety issue for men in certain manual jobs. But how does William explain his decision? A royal aide has said he "isn't one for jewellery".

 

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